New birth (Theol.), regeneration, or the commencement of a religious life.
Syn. -- Parentage; extraction; lineage; race; family.
Birth, n. See Berth. [Obs.] De Foe.
Birth"day` (brth"d`), n. 1. The day in which any person is born; day of origin or commencement.
Those barbarous ages past, succeeded next
The birthday of invention.
Cowper.
2. The day of the month in which a person was born, in whatever succeeding year it may recur; the anniversary of one's birth.
This is my birthday; as this very day
Was Cassius born.
Shak.
Birth"day`, a. Of or pertaining to the day of birth, or its anniversary; as, birthday gifts or festivities.
Birth"dom (&?;), n. [Birth + - dom.] The land of one's birth; one's inheritance. [R.] Shak.
Birth"ing, n. (Naut.) Anything added to raise the sides of a ship. Bailey.
Birth"less, a. Of mean extraction. [R.] Sir W. Scott.
Birth"mark` (&?;), n. Some peculiar mark or blemish on the body at birth.
Most part of this noble lineage carried upon their body for a natural birthmark, . . . a snake.
Sir T. North.
Birth"night` (&?;), n. The night in which a person is born; the anniversary of that night in succeeding years.
The angelic song in Bethlehem field,
On thy birthnight, that sung thee Savior born.
Milton.
Birth"place` (&?;), n. The town, city, or country, where a person is born; place of origin or birth, in its more general sense. "The birthplace of valor." Burns.
Birth"right` (&?;), n. Any right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born.
Lest there be any . . . profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb. xii. 16.
Birth"root` (&?;), n. (Bot.) An herbaceous plant (Trillium erectum), and its astringent rootstock, which is said to have medicinal properties.
Birth"wort` (&?;), n. A genus of herbs and shrubs (Aristolochia), reputed to have medicinal properties.
Bis (&?;), adv. [L. bis twice, for duis, fr. root of duo two. See Two, and cf. Bi- .] Twice; -- a word showing that something is, or is to be, repeated; as a passage of music, or an item in accounts.
Bis-, pref. A form of Bi-, sometimes used before s, c, or a vowel.
Bi"sa an"te*lope (&?;). (Zoöl.) See Oryx.
Bi*sac"cate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + saccate.] (Bot.) Having two little bags, sacs, or pouches.
Bis*cay"an (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to Biscay in Spain. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Biscay.
Bis"co*tin (&?;), n. [F. biscotin. See Biscuit.] A confection made of flour, sugar, marmalade, and eggs; a sweet biscuit.
Bis"cuit (&?;), n. [F. biscuit (cf. It. biscotto, Sp. bizcocho, Pg. biscouto), fr. L. bis twice + coctus, p. p. of coquere to cook, bake. See Cook, and cf. Bisque a kind of porcelain.] 1. A kind of unraised bread, of many varieties, plain, sweet, or fancy, formed into flat cakes, and bakes hard; as, ship biscuit.
According to military practice, the bread or biscuit of the Romans was twice prepared in the oven.
Gibbon.
2. A small loaf or cake of bread, raised and shortened, or made light with soda or baking powder. Usually a number are baked in the same pan, forming a sheet or card.
3. Earthen ware or porcelain which has undergone the first baking, before it is subjected to the glazing.
4. (Sculp.) A species of white, unglazed porcelain, in which vases, figures, and groups are formed in miniature.
Meat biscuit, an alimentary preparation consisting of matters extracted from meat by boiling, or of meat ground fine and combined with flour, so as to form biscuits.
Bi*scu"tate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + scutate.] (Bot.) Resembling two bucklers placed side by side.
||Bise (&?;), n. [F.] A cold north wind which prevails on the northern coasts of the Mediterranean and in Switzerland, etc.; -- nearly the same as the mistral.
Bise (&?;), n. (Paint.) See Bice.
Bi*sect" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bisected; p. pr. & vb. n. Bisecting.] [L. bis twice + secare, sectum, to cut.] 1. To cut or divide into two parts.